


Good Cop, Dad Cop

by JadeTigress



Category: Dream Daddy: A Dad Dating Simulator
Genre: (that was me name in me game so guess you gotta deal), Alternate Universe - Police, Amanda has left for college, And Maple Bay has themselves a serial killer on the loose, Cult Joseph!! CULT JOSEPH!!, Cult leaders, Dadsona is a cop and partners with Saul Graves (from cult ending), Dadsona's name is Sam Gardener, Hey you know what I love?? CULTS AND POLICE DRAMA, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Rating May Change, Serial Killers, hUH I WONDER WHO COULD -
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-04
Updated: 2017-08-04
Packaged: 2018-12-11 00:48:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,821
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11703300
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JadeTigress/pseuds/JadeTigress
Summary: Maple Bay is being terrorized by a string of murders that has left the police stumped and has robbed the citizens of their sense of safety.Panic is at an all time high, and police officers Sam Gardener and Saul Graves are struggling to put together a single lead.Will they solve the case before its too late? Will Sam fall for the mysterious pastel polo-shirt man? And will Saul ever get Sam to stop fucking falling into bodies of water already what the fuck Sam you're a decorated police detective why do you keep doing this?Find out on this installment of "Good Cop, Dad Cop."





	Good Cop, Dad Cop

**Author's Note:**

> Hey,, so, friends... I have a confession to make...  
> I might, perhaps, maybe, like Joseph Christiansen, mAYBE, A LITTLE  
> AND I'M A SUCKER FOR CULT SHIT AND SERIAL KILLER SHIT AND SUPERNATURAL/DEMON/MONSTER SHIT AND I CAN'T HELP MYSELF!
> 
> SO HERE IT IS!!!

Sam sighed, staring blearily out of the smudged windshield. He squinted, trying to see clearly, which was almost impossible as the dull streetlights reflected against the lovely cocktail of windshield wiper streaks, dead bugs, and that One Stain they'd never been able to quite rub off which all mixed together into an almost solid layer that was quite counterproductive to stake-outs.

“We should take the car through the wash,” Sam muttered, finally giving up and rubbing at his eyes blearily.

“Then we wouldn't fit in,” Saul countered, somehow much more conscious and cognizant than Sam. Sam glared. How was he so awake.

“How are you so awake?” Sam asked, eyes permanently half-lidded and bleary.

“I have a normal sleep schedule and don't rely on caffeine to function,” Saul replied, turning and raising an eyebrow. “I swear, you're like a college student.”

“Hey now-”

“No, you're right, you're worse than a college student, your daughter is healthier than you,” Saul deadpanned, but the quirk in his mouth gave away his humor. It was why he was usually the straight man in their interrogations, he kept a better cool than Sam.

Sam rolled his eyes, choosing to ignore the comment and absolutely not pout like a child. He swiped his cheap styrofoam cup from its spot in the cup-holder, downing the rest of his coffee in one go in a childish show. Only once he'd chugged the rest of the long-cold coffee did he grimace and make a loud 'bleh' sound. Saul chuckled.

“We're in for the long haul, you should have probably held on to that,” he commented. Sam absolutely did not pout again, settling back into his seat and crossing his arms.

“Is this even a reliable lead, or are we just sitting on the corner in an obvious cruiser scaring the shit out of goth kids trying to sell oregano to prep kids,” Sam muttered.

“Well, it was anonymous-”

“So it's some kid screwing with us again-”

“No-”

“Last time we followed an anonymous tip, I ended up almost mauled to death and drowned at the same time,” Sam reminded him.

“That mastiff was a big sweetie and it's not my fault you vaulted over a fence running from a 'werewolf,' and fell right into that nice man's pool,” Saul tried to keep a straight face, but it was a challenge for even Gold Star Detective Saul Graves.

“I still think it was the killer, trying to take me out in one fell swoop, if the beast didn't get me the water trap would,” Sam shot back, but now a smile broke out over his face.

“Unless the killer is an eighth grader who wants to kill you because you talk too loudly at movies, I highly doubt that,” Saul replied.

“He's an evil mastermind, it all makes sense now,” Sam's eyes widened dramatically, “his secret identity as a troubled middle-schooler is just a cover.”

Saul sighed. “Okay Sam, zone-in please, we have work to do.”

Sam pursed his lips. “Sorry. You're right.”

The two of them sat in silence for a while, keeping an eye on the shady bar, taking note of every (read, very few) patrons who stumbled in and out. Saul sipped at his coffee slowly, which only made Sam regret chugging his.

“Soo,” Sam drawled after a long stretch of silence got too oppressive. Not that it was uncomfortable, he just never learned to let comfortable silence lay.

“Soo,” Saul parroted.

“How's Barry doing?” Sam asked, a deft and subtle attempt at initiating small talk.

“He's good, starting fourth grade, hates his babysitter, the usual,” he said. Sam watched the soft smile that spread across his face, and felt a tug on his heartstrings.

“I remember when Amanda was that small, except she loved her babysitter, she cried when I told her she was old enough to not need one, practically begged me to hire Hannah as a nanny,” Sam smiled too, eyes drifting as the memory passed through his mind.

“And now she's in college charming all the eligible art majors,” Saul teased.

“I told her to marry a rich doctor-lawyer, but she won't listen,” Sam sighed dramatically.

“Breaking hearts left and right,” Saul said.

“That's my girl,” Sam said, snickering.

“Barry apparently got married under the swing-set at the playground,” Saul said, and Sam snorted, choking on air. “Said he got a sixth grader to officiate, gave each other ring-pops.”

“They grow up so fast,” Sam said. He tried to make it sound wistful or dramatic, but all he could do was chuckle helplessly.

They fell into silence again after that, watching as a man and a woman stumbled out of the bar together and down the street. Sam tracked them with his eyes, committing their faces to memory, but soon enough they rounded a corner. He noted that they were heading towards the 'good part of town,' and out of the stake-out zone, so he compartmentalized it to the back of his mind.

He sighed, and considered making a joke again, but when he looked over at Saul, the man was completely zoned-in. Sam could tell by look in his eyes. He shut his mouth and turned to the front of the car again. He needed to focus too.

But jokes were his way of coping. Saul knew it, and it was why the cop gave him less shit than he should. Really, a professional detective shouldn't be cracking jokes while on the biggest case of the decade- the one that had already claimed several lives and was poised like a predator over all their heads, just waiting to claim more.

It was the stress, it was taking years off his life, and he coped by making shitty jokes. It was the only way he could handle it.

Amanda still called every other day, checking in on him, making sure he hadn't worked himself to death.

Okay maybe that wasn't the best phrasing.

Either way, they had a serial killer terrorizing Maple Bay, and if they didn't catch them soon, more lives would be lost.

The problem was there were no leads, and the cops were just running in circles. The killer didn't seem to have a preference, no consistent MO. The best connection they had was all the victims had been either divorced or widowed, which was a solid lead but had  _ yet to lead them anywhere. _

He watched another person enter the bar, memorizing his face.

Still, the night had been uneventful so far, and Sam really hoped it was because nothing was going to happen tonight, and not because they were in the wrong place.

A couple more hours passed by like this, and Sam was about to suggest they find a new stake-out point, when loud voices bounced against the outside of their car. Sam sat up straight, alert, and rolled down his window a crack.

“You  _ bastard!”  _ A loud voice echoed down a nearby alley. Sam straightened and shot a look to Saul.

A second voice replied, but it was too quiet to make out.

“I thought you- I thought  _ we-  _ how could you!” It was a masculine voice, and he was obviously distressed, angry.

Sam popped his door open and moved to get out.

Saul followed and the two of them moved to investigate.

It took a moment to track down the couple arguing, probably because the voices kept bouncing around the alleyway. They finally located the sound coming from behind the bar, and Saul cleared his throat loudly. Sam stayed tucked behind him, ready to take action.

“Is everything okay sir?” He asked, stepping into the light while Sam lingered.

There were two men, obviously caught in an argument, seeing as the one had a fistful of the other's shirt. One, the angry one, (the aggressor?), towered over the other man, obviously out-powering him. He was tan and muscular, and Sam immediately pegged him as the threat. His brown hair was messed up, as though he'd been fussing with it, and his veins were practically straining out of his neck. He emanated a mix of biker and bouncer, and, if Sam could be called a good judge (he could), was very intoxicated.

All in all, angry, muscled, and winding up for a fight.

Which made the other man an almost  _ comical  _ foil. As soon as Sam's eyes darted to him, he almost had to do a double take. The man was literally dressed in a pastel pink polo-shirt and khakis. He had  _ a blue sweater  _ tied  _ around his shoulders.  _ His blonde hair was a mess, probably to do with the apparent altercation and, wow, Sam couldn't really tell in the darkness but he was pretty sure the man's eyes were baby blue too. He literally couldn't have looked more out of place in the grungy back-alley.

He was leaning back, apparently only held upright by the grip the other man had on his shirt, and his body was almost parallel with the ground as he struggled to keep balance. His gaze turned to the two officers, eyes widening, and he broke out in a  _ grin. _

“Hello officer,” the blonde man replied first. “Lovely evening.”

His smile was strained, and Sam's first instinct was to rush in and help the man, but something stopped him. A small alarm bell went off in the back of his head and he held his ground and squinted as Saul approached. The man didn't seem alarmed at all, not at the fist poised to smash his face in nor the police officers that had just trod into the scene.

In fact, although his smile strained at the edges, one turn away from a grimace, he seemed rather nonplussed.

“Is there a problem here?” Saul asked again, drawing his eyes slowly from one man to another in an obvious act.

The larger man tensed for a second, before growling and releasing his grip on the other.

Sam watched as the blonde man's eyes widened comically as he seemed to hang in the air for a moment in a comical show before gravity caught up and he fell to the ground in a heap.

“Oof,” he huffed. Dirt flew into the air around him as he landed flat on his back.

“No problem,” the larger man said, with a tone of voice that obviously said 'no shit there's a problem.' “Just chatting with my  _ good friend.  _ Isn't that right Joseph?”

“We're just peachy,” 'Joseph' replied from his position on the ground. He looked at Saul, before dragging his eyes over to Sam. Sam tensed, sure he wasn't visible in the shadow, but he swore the man locked gazes with him, blue eyes glittering in the low-light. “Just having a civil conversation, really.”

“Uh-huh,” Saul grunted. “Well I hate to butt into your 'civil conversation,' but I'm going to have to ask you two to break it up.”

“No problem officer, I'm two steps ahead of you, it's been broken up,” 'Joseph' said, innocently enough. But there was some undercurrent to his words that made Sam furrow his brow, and the other man bristled.

When nobody moved to leave, Saul sighed.

“Care to tell me what this was about gentlemen?” He asked, when it was apparent nobody was speaking either.

“He – “

“We were having a disagreement about a boating trip, nothing serious, it's fine officer,” 'Joseph' said. Apparently the man had decided to speak for both of them, which only aroused Sam's suspicion more.

“A... boating trip?” Saul asked, raising an eyebrow.

The larger man bristled again and grit his teeth.

“Look – “ Suddenly Saul's phone rang out, disrupting the scene. Saul cursed under his breath and shot the two a look before walking over to Sam and tugging the phone out of his pocket. He cursed again, with even more passion this time.

“It's the station,” he muttered lowly, inaudible to the two men. “I need to take this.”

“Do it, I'll take care of this,” Sam muttered back.

Saul nodded and accepted the call, moving far enough away to discreetly listen but close enough to still intervene if needed.

Sam stepped into the light this time, causing the larger man to start and glare. Oddly enough, 'Joseph' just smiled up from his position still on the ground, completely unsurprised. He looked up through his eyelashes at him in a way that made Sam feel targeted, but the man just smiled coyly and propped himself up further on his elbows.

“Telling us to vacate the premise, officer?” 'Joseph' asked. Something about that sentence rubbed Sam the wrong way, but again he couldn't tell why. He fixed his gaze on the man.

'Joseph' stared back, before something flashed in his eyes, and he schooled his expression back. Whatever undercurrent had been there evaporated into the air. Sam didn't know what to make of it.

“Unless you'd like to press charges, then yes, I have to ask you two to break it up and move on,” he replied. “Unless, of course, you have any more concerns, sir.”

“ _ Press charges? _ ” The larger man said, voice strangled. “ _ He  _ was the one to – “

“I'm fine officer, promise, but thank you for your concern,” 'Joseph' replied, smiling warmly at Sam, voice smooth like honey. The other man had backed away slightly.

“If you're sure,” Sam hesitated, before holding out his hand to help the man up.

'Joseph' raised his eyebrows, before his grin widened and he reached out to accept the hand. His hand was unusually warm as he grabbed onto Sam's wrist and hauled himself up. From their brief contact, Sam could feel his pulse was racing – a stark difference from his calm demeanor, and odd enough to make a note of.

“What a gentleman,” 'Joseph' drawled, causing Sam to blush. The man's hand lingered in his, and he was staring intently into Sam's eyes,  _ and  _ he was way too close. From this distance he noticed that the man's eyes were dilated unnaturally. Well, it was dark, but something about the way his pupils were so wide and how his pulse was still racing under Sam's hand set him on alert. But he seemed so calm, and it didn't seem like an act either.

So either he was under the influence of something that was messing with his senses (he didn't appear to be intoxicated like the other man though), or he was a very good actor, (but why act unless he was hiding something).

Sam might seem like a bumbling cop at first, but he really was a sharp detective, it was why they'd put him on this case.

His eyes narrowed imperceptibly as he tried to read past 'Joseph's' face.

'Joseph's' eyes in turn shifted subtly, and Sam could swear he heard the man hum under his breath. He squeezed Sam's hand, and smiled, eyes crinkling.

Sam struggled internally for a moment, but this battle happened just out of his conscious mind. It was as though someone draped a plush blanket over his shoulders, dulling his senses, and his first unconscious instinct was to cuddle up to it. However, his self preservation told him to shrug it off and shake off the fuzzy feeling.

But it was so warm and comfortable over his mind.

“No problem,” he replied, voice drawling a little, sluggishly. He blinked at his own words, surprised at the sound, and furrowed his brow.

“No really, thank you,” Joseph replied, not breaking eye contact. His smile widened and his eyes crinkled more, which disguised how they tightened ever so slightly. “And for... intervening.”

“ _ Oh you little –  _ “ A voice said just outside of his field of vision. For some reason his mind distinctly noticed it, and ruled to ignore it, despite his better judgment.

Sam's unconsciousness finally lost the fight, snuggling up in that soft, luxurious blanket, embracing it and pulling it closer around him.

“Just doing my job,” Sam replied, the stiffness in his voice and face falling away. It was as though the world narrowed down to Joseph, and he had all but forgotten the other man.

Joseph's grin broke open, spreading completely across his face in triumph – Sam's brain stuttered – no, Joseph must have just been happy to see him. Why did that make him so happy?

“Really?” Joseph asked, coyly, Sam's vision was definitely trapped on Joseph now, although there was an annoying buzzing in the back of his head.“You sure you're not going beyond the call of – “

“Oh you know what?” The other man spat, snapping Sam's attention back to him. Right, the aggressor. Or wait – no, that wasn't confirmed.

He shook off the fog and turned to the other.

Joseph grimaced, though oddly the expression was aimed at Sam before the man.

“Look – “ Joseph began.

“No, you know what? Fuck you Joseph Christiansen, fuck you and your  _ fucking yacht _ . I hope I never see your shit-eating smirk ever again. Good-fucking-riddance, have fun with your next toy, I hope you choke on your wine,” he spat. And with that he turned and stalked out of the alley.

Joseph bristled, shoulders tensing. His eyes dilated further, until they almost crowded out the icy blue of his irises. Sam realized he was still holding onto the man's hand, and tried to retract it. Joseph held on for just a split-second, grip surprisingly strong, before releasing his grip suddenly.

“Gardener!” Saul called from behind him, shocking Sam and shaking off the last threads of that constricting shawl from his mind. He turned to look at his partner, just missing the pained look on Joseph's face.

“Yes Graves?” He called back, see, he could do it too.

“We need to get a move on, station's calling us in,” Saul replied, giving Sam a pointed look.

“Right, let me just – “ he turned his gaze back to Joseph, who quickly affixed a polite smile to his face. “I'm sorry sir. Do you want to press charges or – do you have any further concerns? Do you need an escort home?”

Saul raised an eyebrow, and Sam blushed slightly as his words caught up to him. His brain was starting to fog again.

“I mean – if you feel unsafe – “

“How considerate,” Joseph cut in, voice teasing. “But I promise I'm fine officer, I can take care of myself, I promise.”

“Are you – “

“I don't usually end up on the receiving end, of a punch,” he said, weirdly emphasizing that too much. “Don't worry about me.”

“Oh, well then,” Sam fumbled, he was usually much sharper than this, the caffeine must have been wearing off. “We'll still need your name and a statement, for our report,” he clarified when Joseph frowned almost imperceptibly.

He paused for a second. “Of course,” he said slowly. “I swear it's fine though.”

Sam's brain told him to be on edge at the suspicious dodging, too bad it had melted again.

“I know, I'm sorry,” he said, frowning, immediately falling for the look Joseph was giving him. “It's just – we have to, it's procedure.”

Joseph's face twitched, but Sam's gooey brain didn't process it.

“Fine,” Joseph replied curtly, and Sam almost flinched at the tone. It was barely perceptible, but there was a strange annoyance and disappointment behind his words and it hit Sam, making him feel like a puppy that had just been kicked.

“I – “ He started, eyes wide and appropriately puppy-dog-like.

“Name and statement,” Saul cut in.  _ His  _ curt annoyance at him was blatant, and Sam's kicked puppy attitude skyrocketed. He slumped his shoulders and was one more discouragement from slinking away with his metaphorical tail between his legs.

“Joseph,” Joseph said, obviously, “I was – “

“Full name please,” Saul replied, not leaving any wiggle room.

Joseph paused, tilting his head slightly and smiling in a tight way. Saul leveled an uncompromising look at him.

“Joseph Christiansen, I was trying to have a conversation with an acquaintance of mine, but as you could see he was somewhat intoxicated and may have gotten a little riled up, but you officers came in and saved the day,” he shot a smile at Sam here, making him perk back up and smile at him.

“Now I'm going to head home,” he continued, “As you can see I am not intoxicated, not like him, though I'd be happy to take a breathalyzer test. If you need a statement from my friend, feel free to track him down, but I'm not sure where he went. If that's all, it's rather late and I'd like to get home while I still have some diluted bit of safety left.”

Saul was writing everything down, but looked up at that.

“What does that mean?” He asked.

“Nothing, Maple Bay just hasn't been the safest place to be lately,” Joseph replied, before smiling sharply. Sam could swear his canines glinted, they practically looked like fangs. “I thought you'd know that, isn't it your job to keep us citizens safe?”

Saul bristled, but bit his tongue. Sam blinked owlishly.

“I thought that was what we were doing now,” Saul replied, clutching his pen with clenched fists.

Joseph shrugged, raising his hands in surrender.

“Fair enough, am I dismissed now officer?” He asked, narrowing his eyes.

“Yes,” Saul replied.

The man gave Sam one last look, which did things to his brain, simultaneously setting it on edge and dulling it to mush in a paradoxical manner. Then he raised his hands further, before turning and striding out of the alley and down the street.

“Come on Sam,” Saul said sharply, yanking his attention back.

“Shouldn't we – “

“The station said we had to report back immediately,” Saul said, and the cold tone in his voice silenced Sam immediately.

“What happened?” He asked. He felt his stomach fall out from under him. “Did they find another body?”

“No,” Saul replied, but Sam didn't feel any relief, just waited as Saul pulled shoved his hands into his pocket and took a deep breath. “But apparently a girl came in and filed a missing person's report.”

“Oh,” Sam said, clenching his fists in frustration. “They think – ?”

“A report on her single dad,” Saul cut in, “so, yeah, they think so.”

The two of them stood there for a moment. Saul seemed to embrace the cold silence, but Sam fumed.

“I knew this lead was – we should have  _ done  _ – “

“We can't  _ do  _ anything but follow leads,” Saul stopped him. “It's pointless to get frustrated, we just have to find this man before anything else happens. And we do that by getting back to the station, come on.”

Saul turned and headed back towards the car.

Sam hovered, eyes darting back to the other end of the alley. He felt uneasy, paranoid, like someone was looming behind him and waiting for him to slip up.

But that was the way he'd felt for the past two months, so it was nothing new.

He sighed, before shoving his hands in his pockets and tailing his partner back to the car.

**Author's Note:**

> I also made a DDADDS tumblr,, so if you're interested in that it's margarita-boned.tumblr.com because I'm bad and can only communicate through puns.  
> I ALSO made a DDADDS discord server, so if you want in on that message me on my tumblr


End file.
